1. Total Knee Replacement
Matt Barbin

2. About the knee Made up of: the femur (lower end of the thigh bone)
the tibia (upper end of the shin bone)
the kneecap (patella)
The ends of these three bones are covered with articular cartilage
Arthritis is the most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability
96% of total knee replacement recipients are diagnosed with arthritis
Most recipients are above the age of 40

3. What total knee replacement actually does
Uses specially designed components made of high strength, biocompatible metals and plastics to replace the cartilage in the knee
Only worn out cartilage surfaces of the joint are replaced
The entire knee is not actually replaced

4. How total knee replacement is performed: Femur component
Damaged cartilage surfaces at the ends of the femur and tibia along with a small amount of underlying bone are removed
A metal femoral component curves around the end of the femur
Grooved so the kneecap can move up and down smoothly against the bone as the knee bends and straightens
*The metal components are
mainly made of titanium or
cobalt-chromium based
alloys

5. How total knee replacement is performed: Tibia component
Flat metal platform with a cushion of strong, durable plastic, called polyethylene
Some designs do not have the metal portion and attach the polyethylene directly to the bone
For additional stability, the metal portion of the component may have a stem that inserts into the center of the tibia bone
*The metal components are
mainly made of titanium or
cobalt-chromium based
alloys

6. How total knee replacement is performed: Patella component
A patellar component made of a dome-shaped piece of polyethylene will duplicate the shape of the kneecap.

7. Risks/Disadvantages Deep vein thrombosis Fractures Instability
Loss of motion
Infection
Cost: An American with no health insurance typically pays $45,000 – $70,000

8. Results
9 out of 10 patients said they experienced dramatic pain relief
90% of knee replacements last 10 years
80% last 20 years

9. Works Cited http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00389